Unknown Pleasures presents: Meet the Lowensteins…, two half-hour films by Richard Lowenstein around the work of his historian mother Wendy Lowenstein. Q&A with Richard Lowenstein, moderated by Digby Houghton (guest programmer).

We present a newly Restored HD version of Lowenstein’s first ever film EVICTIONS (1979, 25 mins), based on Lowenstein’s mother Wendy Lowenstein’s oral history from 1978 Weevils in the Flour. It is a doco-drama set in Melbourne during the Great Depression and looks at the organisation of the unemployed as they combat police enforcement. We couple this with a brand new project of Lowenstein’s called DON’T BE TOO POLITE GIRLS (2023, 25 mins), a biography of his mother Wendy Lowenstein (1927-2006), an important member of the folk movement in Australia and author of oral histories like The Immigrants, and Shirley Andrews (1915-2001), a dance historian and pioneering Indigenous rights activist. We present a half-hour teaser of this film. Lowenstein is currently raising funds to turn this project into a feature-length film.

Page for Tax Deductible Donation via Documentary Australia for the feature length version is here: https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/formidable-women/

Presented by Unknown Pleasures, a series of screenings curated by Chris Luscri & Bill Mousoulis, featuring the best of Australian indie cinema, both new and old, with discussions with the filmmakers. LINK – www.pureshitauscinema.com/unknown_pleasures.html

Rating

M

Duration

70 MINS